


(and i like you)

by terfina



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, M/M, also lorde is in this, i wanna write about them meeting :')
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-03 22:32:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10260221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terfina/pseuds/terfina
Summary: The same song had been playing on repeat for at least thirty minutes now which would have been fine if it were daytime, but 1:39 AM qualified as ‘not fine.’





	

Marc was concerned for his neighbor. Through thin walls, he could hear the soft hum of Lorde in the house next to him. The same song had been playing on repeat for at least thirty minutes now which would have been fine if it were daytime, but 1:39 AM qualified as ‘not fine.’

 

He stared at the ceiling, counting to twenty, trying to lull himself to sleep. Afterward, he tried to focus on the shadows on his wall but the music continued. Finally, Marc pulled on a pair of gym shorts and slipped into his slippers.

 

He walked through his dim house, nearly tripping multiple times in the darkness, and outside, to his neighbor's yard. The song was still playing, soulful vocals as Marc rang the doorbell.

 

The song stopped playing instantly and after a few moments, the door opened. A short, tanned man stood there with an angelic face but red eyes. Marc wasn’t sure if he was crying or high, but when the man began to talk, he was sure it was the former.

 

“Yes?” His voice was thick and choked. Marc almost wanted to tell him to forget it and run back home but he persisted. 

 

“Um, sorry, I don’t mean to disturb you, but,” Marc cursed himself for stuttering so much, “Can you turn the music down?”

 

The man looked at him for an instant before nodding, “Yeah, of course, sorry.”

 

As his neighbor moved to close the door, Marc’s arm went out instinctively, preventing it from shutting. “Are you okay?”

 

His neighbor was clearly startled, judging from his raised eyebrows and Marc felt awkward again. “I’m sorry, it’s just that you’ve been crying and you’ve been listening to the same song and you don’-.”

 

“No, it’s fine, thanks,” his neighbor said, interrupting him. Marc quieted and listened, “My boyfriend just broke up with me and...I don’t know. He was an asshole but I’m still upset and I feel like all my friends hate me.”

 

Marc nodded, “I’m sorry about that. I’m sure that you’re better off without him and I doubt that  _ all  _ your friends hate you.”

 

The man smiled and Marc swore he could almost see a halo around his head. “Thanks, it’s just that,” he paused for a moment, his eyes drifting, “It always seems like they’re having more fun without me, you know?”

 

A small part of Marc panged, all too aware of that feeling after moving countries and away from his friends. His neighbor seemed to nice, too  _ warm _ to feel that and he wanted to make the feeling go away. “Really? I’ve met you literally a minute ago and I’m already having a good time.”

 

Another grin from the man and he seemed so much more happier than the person he was moments ago. “Thank you. Do you want to come inside? It looks cold out there.”

 

Marc nodded and the man moved away from the doorway, letting him enter. The walls of the two-floor home were a light olive color with expensive furniture and Impressionist paintings obscuring much of them. Down the hall, the path diverged into two sections blocked by the wall. To the side, a staircase led to the upper floor. The man led Marc down the hallway where a kitchen and living room awaited.

 

The source of the noise, a small portable studio sat on a coffee table before the couch where his neighbor was seated, patting on the spot next to him. “Do you like Lorde?”

 

Marc snapped out of his observations, trying to think of a response on the fly as he took a seat. “Um, yeah. Kind of. I don’t know the majority of her songs but the ones I do know, I love.”

 

Full lips smiled almost adoringly at this. “I absolutely love her. My teammates make fun of me because of my obsession with her.”

“Really?” Marc laughed and his neighbor nodded. “You play on a team?”

 

“Yeah. It’s a football team, but I don’t have a big role or anything. What do you do?” It was obvious that his neighbor was flustered but it only made Marc’s affection for him grow.

 

“I’m not doing much right now, besides studying at university.” The man nodded thoughtfully. 

 

“What do you study?” Tan hands were playing with a paper crane that had been on the coffee table. 

 

“Psychology. It’s a pain in the ass.” The man laughed again, squeezing the crane.

 

“You know what’s a pain in the ass? Doing squats everyday.” They laughed raucously, his neighbor clapping his thigh, before calming.

 

Marc’s thigh stung where the man touched him, not with pain but something more. He observed the man next to him for a moment, watching him pinch the corners of the paper, tweak the beak. “What’s your name?”

 

Tawny eyes turned to meet his. “Rafinha. What’s yours?”

“Well, Rafinha, my name is Marc.” Trying the name out on his tongue,  _ Rafinha _ tasted like sugar on his tongue, sounded like the wind rustling through a spring meadow.

  
“Nice to meet you, Marc.” Rafinha smiled and Marc’s heart throbbed. Marc wanted to keep the smile there forever and he had a feeling that Rafinha wasn’t opposed to the idea. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! 
> 
> the title is from "400 lux" by lorde. if you're curious, the song rafinha was playing was "liability"


End file.
